AbanteCart uses XML language files only for initial load and save to the database. This is needed for extension when you install them. We want to give Shopping Cart owners ability to search and edit text in the cart as they need.

These XML files can be translated with google API V2 to get them into different language as for AbanteCart and for extensions.

A major disavantage is the complexity introduced by storing in DB instead of flat files.When developping extensions, each time you change a language text, you need to uninstall/install your extension for the change to take place in DB, AND then clear the cache otherwise you spend hours asking why the page dont change, like me.

Reason for these due to abatecart ability to edit translations after language is loaded initially. Language XML files act as installation files only. We could have kept them as SQLs but that would be even more harder to manage.

I can see a pain with this, that is why we started on dev tools extension to wrap process and make it easier.

Extension dev tool should help with this. We are continuously working on it.

Feel free to help with improving and adding easier process with resetting translations.

Important: Use an external XML validator or parser when you write language files. The smallest error in an XML file (missing tag <definition> or </definition>, missing closing [!CDATA[ ]], syntax error, typo, ...) stops the php parser and the rest of file is ignored and you dont see it. Extremly long to check.

Important: Use an external XML validator or parser when you write language files. The smallest error in an XML file (missing tag <definition> or </definition>, missing closing [!CDATA[ ]], syntax error, typo, ...) stops the php parser and the rest of file is ignored and you dont see it. Extremly long to check.